6 Healthy Meals to Make on a Budget

Throughout college, you find that eating healthy can come at a cost. So many people give you their opinion about how you should eat clean, organic, vegan and so on. For some, eating that way can come at a high cost that some in college can’t afford. What if I told you there was a way to eat clean and not make your bank account cry? Guess what? There is a way to do this and it’s simple! Below are 10 healthy meals that you can make without breaking the bank. Each of these recipes is healthy and won’t cost you a fortune to make!

Breakfast

With breakfast being the most important meal of the day, it’s ideal that you don’t skip it. Finding ways to have breakfast that is healthy, not any of that Lucky Charms sugary junk, can be difficult and sometimes expensive. If you want something a little sweeter in the morning but don’t want it to go straight to your hips, try this recipe for Chocolate Banana Breakfast Quinoa. The quinoa contains essential amino acids and protein while the cocoa and banana add a sweet flavor to it. This meal will keep you full until lunchtime and you won’t feel the same regret you may get after eating a donut or two. You can find this recipe here.

Want something that you can take you can make ahead of time and take it on the go when you’re ready to eat it? These apple crumble muffins are a good choice for you. At 263 calories per serving, they’re a perfect on the go breakfast that you can make a day or two ahead of time. With a 10-minute prep time and 40-minute bake time, these are perfect to make over the weekend to be able to grab and go throughout your busy week.

Lunch

So you’ve surpassed your breakfast satiety and are ready to hit the fridge after your morning classes to fuel yourself to do all of those assignments that you’re dreading. Trying to think of different lower calorie yet still nutrient dense foods can be difficult when trying to keep your food cost low. Trying different wraps or sandwiches can help change up your lunch routine but can also save you money if you use similar ingredients. For example, you can make different variations of a veggie or turkey wrap using the same ingredients such as the wrap, lettuce, tomato or anything else you want to add. It’s your lunch so you find what you like and stick with it. If you need inspiration for your sandwich making skills, check out this list of 35 quick and low calorie sandwich and wrap options.

These will be sure to get your creative juices flowing with different options on what you can make for your lunch.

If you have more time during your day to make something a little more complex than a sandwich or wrap, then try out this recipe for chicken tacos. Who doesn’t love tacos?

They take less than 25 minutes to make and they’re perfect for Taco Tuesday or taco any day! You can even customize them with whatever toppings you want.

Dinner

We have now moved on to the mother of all meals, it’s dinnertime. Now you may not have your mom or grandma’s cooking skills but trust me on this one, these recipes will make you look like you have that skill.

The first recipe goes out to all of the vegetarians out there. Meat eaters will love this too because you all need your veggies just as much as anyone. This recipe is for veggie chili that takes less than an hour to make. What kind of crazy talk is that? Chili that takes less than an hour to make, sign me up!

It’s filled with all kinds of good and hearty legumes such as kidney and black beans and delicious veggies such as bell peppers and corn. It also has all of those beautiful spices that you find in meat filled chili, minus the meat. For those who seriously can’t go a meal without any meat in it, you can always add ground turkey to this recipe. Just make sure to cook it through before adding it in and also go for the lower sodium option to make it that much of a better choice.

If you’re looking for something a little more exotic and spicy then these dragon noodles are the meal for you. It only takes 15 minutes to make and is super simple to make. If you like spicy foods then this is the meal for you. This recipe calls for 2 servings but you can easily increase the recipe to feed more.